peace vs memory
by darkangel.adam
Summary: full summary inside. just an idea i had of how bleach should have went.
1. Bleached soul

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Peace vs. memory

Chapter 1: Bleached soul

"BAN-KAI!" shouted a young man with short orange hair. He wore a black shihakusho that looked like a tattered jacket with medical tape wrapped around his abdomen. He held in his hand a nearly all black blade with a broken chain hanging from the hilt.

"Tensa Zangetsu. All right Tensa Zangetsu, lets see if we still remember how to do this." he held his blade aloft and a surging black energy began to swirl around the blade.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" he shouted as he loosed the stockpiled energy in the blade of his sword. A black wave of energy shot into the sky and continued until it was long out of site.

"Haaa. Man that use to be a lot easier." he said as he released his bankai. His sword returned to its original size, which was roughly the length and width of his own body (minus his arms). It had been 2 years since Ichigo "strawberry" Kurosaki had reached the peak of his powers and lost them all in the same fight against the traitorous Sosuke Aizen. He had defeated Aizen, but at the cost of his powers as a shinigami, or soul reaper, and only about 3 months ago had he started to regain his lost powers little by little. As he stood there remembering the events that led to the loss of his powers he was surprised to see that he had unconsciously placed his hand just above his face like he was going to pull something over it to hide himself.

"No." Ichigo thought to himself. "I only just got my powers back, I'm not going to risk waking him until I'm sure I'm strong enough to subdue him again." He looked at the large sword that was now draped across his back and covered in cloth. " I'm going to need your help, master" without another word Ichigo flash stepped his way home. ****

"Do you understand the parameters of your mission?" the question was asked by an old man in a black shihakusho with a white sash draped over his shoulders. His beard was so long that it nearly touched the floor, and his bald head showed the scars of many hard won battles. He held his cane in his one and only hand and stood, even hunched as he was, as a towering presence over everyone in the room.

"Yes, Captain-commander Yamamoto. I am to make contact with the recently recovered substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, evaluate his progress, and ascertain as to how long it will be before he is able to continue with his duties as a substitute soul reaper." answered a young woman with mid-length, raven black hair. As with everyone else in attendance she was also dressed in a black shihakusho with a sword in its sheath at her side.

"Very well. I can see that you are well prepared for the task I have set for you, and I would imagine that you are eager to return to the world of the living as soon as possible. However, it is my duty as Captain-commander of the 13 court guard squads to congratulate you and wish you the very best of luck, vice-captain of squad 13, Rukia Kurosaki." Captain-commander Yamamoto bowed as he said this and all in attendance, captains, vice-captains, and seated officers alike followed suit. (except for one Mayuri Kurotsuchi)

"Thank you very much" Rukia bowed in return "I'll send full reports at least once a month by way of hell butterfly" Rukia waved to her friends as she passed through the gate that lead to the world of the living, and just before the gate closed she caught a glimpse of her brother and saw, just before he turned and walked away, that he was smiling slightly. ****

Ichigo caught sight of his house as he was walking down the street that his family's clinic is on. Ichigo had moved out of his childhood home but he stayed right down the street just in case something happened to his sisters or dad. He was always just a few flash steps away. Just before he reached his house he noticed a young woman walking toward him on the sidewalk.

"Kurosaki-Kun! I wasn't expecting to see you today. Weren't you going somewhere today?" asked the girl. She was looking Ichigo dead in the face with her large gray eyes. She wore gray pants and a pink shirt that hugged her form and showed off her rather large bust. Her hair was held back by two identical hair pins on either side of her head.

"oh, hey Orihime. Yea, I was suppose to go to the soul society with Rukia but she said that she could handle it on her own. You know how she gets sometimes." Orihime looked at Ichigo

"Well that is true. She's really scary sometimes when the soul society is involved." Ichigo started laughing. "Your absolutely right. So…where is your other half?"

"I'm right here." Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked to his right and noticed for the first time the green eyed man standing there. Under his eyes were green tear streaks and his skin was as light as was possible which made an interesting contrast to his hair which was blacker than midnight. As always he was dressed in nearly all white, a white hoodie, white shirt, and tan skinny jeans.

"Holy crap Ulquiorra! Don't do that to me! I almost had a heart attack." said Ichigo, clutching his chest. The former espada only looked at him with a blank stare.

"It cannot be helped. You should work on your pesquisa." was his reply. Orihime stood next to him and wrapped her arms around his right one and laughed. Ichigo was glad to see Orihime so happy. He had been shocked when he first found out that Orihime had resurrected the former fourth espada after he had lost his powers. At first he thought he was just seeing things, but when Ulquiorra walked right up to him and Orihime re-introduced him it was official. Hat-and-clogs also had a hand in it, giving him a gigai to live in. It had been uneasy at first but gradually it seemed that Orihime was breaking through his emotionless wall and reminding him of what its like to be human.

"Kurosaki, your drifting off again." Ulquiorra's observation snapped Ichigo back into reality.

"Oh, sorry. I was actually on my way home. What are you two up to?" asked Ichigo. Orihime placed one hand on her hip and pointed with the other at nothing in particular.

"We are going to the movies to see ZOMBIE MUTANT MONSTERS 7!" she exclaimed. Ulquiorra put his face in his hand.

"She tells me that it is something that I must experience." he said calmly. Ichigo looked at the pair and chuckled.

"well that sounds like fun Orihime. Maybe me and Rukia will go next time. Oh yea, have you seen Uryu? He hasn't been at his house in a couple of days." Orihime put her fingers to her lips trying to think when Ulquiorra answered.

" The Quincy went to the 12th division of the Soul Society to study the records and Quincy histories recorded by Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Ichigo scratched his head.

" Oh yea, I had completely forgotten about that. Hmmmm. *Ichigo grins widely* I'll bet he's really there to see that vice-captain. What's-her-name Kurotsuchi." Ichigo said. Orihime's eyes lit up with the possibilities.

" Maybe you're right Kurosaki-kun." she and Ichigo laughed at the idea while Ulquiorra stared on in curious silence. After Orihime and Ulquiorra left Ichigo he continued on his way home.****

Ichigo felt the heat of the sun on his eyelids and opened his eyes to see that he was outside. _That's strange_ Ichigo thought to himself, _I could have sworn I was taking a nap on the couch until Rukia got home_. he looked around and noticed something odd about his surroundings. Everything was turned on its side and he was laying down on a window pane of a large building.

"Ichigo." Ichigo recognized the gruff yet gentle voice of his zanpakuto and he turned to face the man. Zangetsu stood on top of a flagpole as he always did and looked down at Ichigo through his sharp yellow sunglasses. His tattered and flowing coat flowed around him like water and his gruff unshaven face regarded Ichigo with disdain.

"have you not noticed the coming trouble? Or are you still that weak because of your recovery?" Ichigo scowled at Zangetsu.

" You know I don't think it'd kill you to keep from insulting me just once. And what the hell are you talking about 'trouble'. If you ask me things have been to quiet and -" "ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID!" Ichigo was cut off mid-sentence by Zangetsu " IF YOU DON'T PREPARE THEN-" Zangetsu was cut short when a white blade came out of his chest followed by maniacal laughter.

"aww come on old man, there's no need to ruin the surprise. I don't want the king to think I've forgotten him in these last few years." Zangetsu fell forward and disappeared and standing in his place was a bleached-out copy of Ichigo. He looked like him in every way except for his creepy grin and his harsh yellow eyes.

"hello again Ichigo. How's the king of this world? Since its not raining I guess your okay." he said with a wide grin. Ichigo was horrified to see him, it had been 2 years but here he was. Ichigo had hoped that he had vanished with his shinigami powers but here he was.

" What's the matter king? You don't look happy to see me." the hollow disappeared and re-appeared behind Ichigo. " Well I'm happy to see you. I couldn't get out when you didn't have any powers. But now I'm awake. And guess what else king? I'm stronger than you now." with those words the white Zangetsu blade burst from Ichigo's chest. Ichigo sat straight up panting and looked around. He was in his living room.

"It was just a dream?" he said to himself. Somewhere deep in his mind he heard maniacal laughter.


	2. The new threat

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 2: The New Threat

Rukia arrived home a little after 4 in the evening and entered her house to find Ichigo in the exercise room practicing with a weighted kendo sword. She had to stop and admire the ripple of his sweaty muscles as they tensed and relaxed with the effort of his workout. When he noticed that she was home he grabbed a towel and draped it across his neck and went over to greet her.

"Hey Rukia. How did it go at the soul society?" he inquired. She met him half-way into the room and hugged him. "

It went perfect. What did you expect? I'm not some lazy screw-up like you." she answered him while sticking her tongue out at him.

"Why you little…I'll show you a screw up!" yelled Ichigo as he chased Rukia out of the room. After a fit of laughter Rukia sat on the couch and continued talking.

"You know I'm just playing Ichigo. Actually they gave me a mission. I'm to monitor your progress and report as soon as you are ready to resume your duties as a soul reaper. If you can recover enough of your power captain-commander Yamamoto might even put your name in as a consideration for captain." Ichigo stared at her.

"I thought that the captain spots had been filled? What will happen to them?" Rukia sighed.

"It's true that the 5th and 9th divisions have captains but the 3rd division is being led by Izuru Kira right now. He insist on retaining his rank as vice-captain so 3rd division has no captain right now. I think it's because of the things Hinamori tells him about being a captain." Ichigo sighed.

"So I'm in the running for captain huh? Damn, if I become a captain I'll be dodging Kenpachi for the rest of my life."

Rukia chuckled and patted Ichigo on the back. "Don't worry. A shinigami only lives for a few thousand years. And that's if they're lucky."***

Ichigo and Rukia walked together down the street that would lead them to Urahara's shop. Ichigo had gone to the former captain when his powers started returning for help because it seemed he could no longer control them.

"Its not that complicated," Urahara had said "your just going to have to readjust. You reached a level of power no one has seen before and then lost it all. Now your starting to get it back. But that's like handing a kid a bomb and expecting them to throw it far enough. Just start off slow with your shikai and work your way up in your power scale. And make sure you don't hollowfy until you feel ready. It could kill you." Ichigo had almost hollowfied just this morning. There's no telling what could have went wrong if he had. Rukia interrupted Ichigo's thoughts by shouting at a young girl standing in front of Urahara's shop.

"Hey ururu! How are you doing?" a small girl in a grade school uniform with black hair that hung down and parted at the top of her nose looked up from her daily chores to see who had addressed her.

"oh, lady Kurosaki." she said in a voice that was small even for her. "I was not expecting to see you here today."

"YOU IDIOT!" The small girl received a smack on the back of her head. "SHE WENT TO THE SOUL SOCIETY TODAY! SHE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE HERE TO TALK TO KISUKE! Sheesh. don't you listen to anything anyone tells you?" a boy with fire red hair stood behind ururu holding a broom in his hands.

"that hurts jinta." ururu replied. "aww shut up. I bet strawberry here has business with the boss too. Am I right or what?" Rukia laughed at the young man and nodded.

"We both need to see Mr. Weirdo." Ichigo smiled faintly and walked into the shop with Rukia and the children following him. Urahara was nowhere in the shop and Ichigo quickly figured that he would be waiting for them in the underground training room. At the bottom of the long ladder leading to the oversized basement Ichigo and the group found Kisuke Urahara. Urahara wore his traditional tan kimono with a green overcoat and his trademark striped hat and clogs. His shaggy blond hair hung down in his face as he watched the approaching group with detached interest.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kurosaki? What a pleasant surprise! I was not expecting you at all today." he said in his usual cheerful tone.

"Ahh cut the crap hat-and-clogs! You are the one who invited us here." Ichigo retorted.

"Is that so? Sorry, must have slipped my mind. Anywho I'm glad that you came. Ichigo, how is your training going to restore your full power?" he asked Ichigo.

"I seem to have remastered my bankai but I don't seem to be able to use getsuga tensho as much as I was before. And I haven't even attempted my visred transformation." Kisuke nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Well then Mr. Kurosaki, it seems like you are progressing rather quickly. If you had to take a guess, how long do you think it would take for you to recover to the level of power you had when you defeated Sosuke Aizen?" Ichigo scratched his head and thought to himself.

"Well it really depends. If my inner hollow is felling froggy it could take me months." Ichigo said. Kisuke continued nodding his head.

"I see. Well that would be fine. Only one teeny tiny problem with that, and I'm sure it's nothing of great importance to someone with such a rapid growth rate like yourself." Ichigo looked sternly at him.

"Why do I get the feeling that this conversation is about to go to hell?" Urahara opened his paper fan and held it in front of his face.

"I know that was suppose to be sarcasm Ichigo but you couldn't be more correct." Ichigo looked at Urahara with shock clear on his face.

"What do you mean Urahara?" Rukia asked. "Ichigo, do you remember when you defeated the hollow of that serial killer?" Ichigo remembered in vivid detail the hollow Kisuke was referring too. That same hollow had tried to kill Chad and Rukia. Ichigo had arrived just in time to save them.

"Yea, I remember him. The sick bastard was using the kid in the cockatiel as bait for victims." Urahara snapped his fan shut.

"Correct, now do you remember what happened when you defeated him?" Ichigo closed his eyes in concentration. "Hmmmm" his eyes snapped open as he remembered.

"Yea! The gates of the underworld showed up and he was impaled and then pulled in." Urahara nodded.

"Yes, normally the gates of the underworld only show up when a hollow that was evil in life is exercised. However, this brings us to our current situation. There is someone who is trying to find the resting place of the gates and force them open, thereby releasing all of the underworlds villains on the Earth and the Soul Society." everyone in the room replied at the same time.

"WHAT!" Urahara leaned forward. "That's not the worst part. Somewhere in the underworld lies the prison that holds Sosuke Aizen under lock and key. So if our new nemesis succeeds we will have to stop him AND Aizen at the same time." Ichigo looked to the ground in grim understanding.

"Who the hell is this guy? And why is he trying to destroy the world and the Soul Society?" Urahara stood up.

"I only know three things. One, his name is Kakudo Kurohane. Two, you are going to need special training to fight him. And Three, he is your older brother."***

Ichigo had gotten over the initial shock of not only finding out that he had a brother, but that his brother was intent on the destruction of everything he knew. Urahara had told Ichigo to find somewhere to process all of this for himself so now Ichigo sat alone with only his zanpakuto to keep him company. Funny thing was, since the dream he had the other night he hadn't heard anything out of Zangetsu. This worried Ichigo.

"What the hell are you doing old man? I could use your help right about now." only silence answered Ichigo. "Have it your way." Ichigo resigned himself to the silence and after a few minutes of gathering himself rejoined the others. By this time they had been joined by Chad, Uryu, Orihime, and Ulquiorra.

"Ok Hat-and-clogs. I think its time you told me about this brother of mine." Urahara smiled.

"Well then lets start with this. He is really only your half brother. As you know by now your mother, Misaki, was a human, though one with abnormally high spiritual awareness. And your father, Isshin, was a high-ranking soul reaper. Captain class in fact. What you are not aware of is that your family is one of the most revered in all of soul society. The Kurosaki's are the personal guards to the royal family itself." the eyes of everyone in the room (except Ulquiorra) widened in shock and surprise. Rukia was the first to find her voice.

" But that means that…" Urahara finished her thought for her. "That's right Mrs. Kurosaki. The Kurosaki clan outranks even the prestigious Kuchiki clan of the 13 Court Guard Squads." Rukia was speechless. Uryu was the next to recover.

"Hey wait, if the Kurosaki clan is so prestigious then why did the Soul Society still treat us like ryoka up until Aizen's betrayal?" Ichigo thought for a second.

"Yea. That doesn't make any sense. How come they didn't roll out the welcome mat and let me in?" Urahara lowered his head so that the shadow of his hat played over his eyes. "Because of your older brother."

"That's enough Kisuke." everyone turned to see Isshin Kurosaki enter the room. "I'll take over the explanations from here." Urahara nodded to Isshin.

"Very well my old friend. I leave it to you." ****


	3. A nameless self

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 3:A Nameless Self

All attention in the room shifted and Isshin found himself as the center of attention.

"Ahem, well I think first I should explain your relationship to Kurohane. You see, Ichigo, I've been a soul reaper for well over 5000 years, and about 500 years ago I was promoted to the kings personal guard that resides in the Seishin Kyuuden (spirit palace). I was noticed early on for my strength and stamina so I was made the guard of the princesses chambers. I was to never so much as make eye contact with her, but I was arrogant and full of pride. They called me 'the strongest Kurosaki'. Well, she was not use to people actually meeting her gaze, much less addressing her outright so when I did she took interest."

"Hold the hell up old man!" Ichigo jumped to his feet. "I thought you were gonna tell me about that Kurohane bastard! So what the hell does a story about you flirting with a princess have to do with anything! Damn procrastinator." Isshin remained quiet until Ichigo finished his rant.

"If you were able to connect the dots then you would be able to figure out were I was going with this. The princesses name, the name carried by those of the royal family of soul society, was Kakudo. Shirohime Kakudo." a grim silence settled in the room. Uryu spoke up first. "Then the Kakudo in Kurohane's name?"

"Yes, he is the son of Shirohime Kakudo and first-born of the soul society royal family. However he is only half royalty. He is also my son. The royal family refused to accept him and cast him out because of that fact. I was also cast out of the soul society and forced to take up residence in the world of the living." Ichigo stared at his dad.

"So you have been here for 500 years?" Isshin started laughing. "That's right. Hell I played a major part in the Bakumatsu. Always wound up working with some short guy with red hair and a cross shaped scar on his face, what was his name again? Kenshi? Kenshin? Kenshu? Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is that because of me, the world is in danger and you are the only one who has even come close to Kurohane's level of power."

"Wait, 'come close to'? you mean to tell me that even in final getsuga form I was not as strong as him?" Ichigo said shocked. "Not even close. Aizen was powerful, but his level of power is common in the kings realm. His Zanpakuto was the only reason he was beyond anyone in the soul society. As soon as he abandoned it he had no chance against you Ichigo." everyone once again fell into a stunned silence.

"Furthermore it is a fact that if you, or any of us, were to fight Kurohane right now he would kill you." with that the atmosphere in the room reached a depressing low.

"WOW THIS IS DEPRESSING!" Urahara piped in out of nowhere scaring the crap out of Ichigo.

"WHAT THE HELL HAT-AND-CLOGS?" Ichigo screamed at Urahara.

"Sorry but it seemed that moral was suffering heavily from Isshin's depressing speech. He was so caught up in his story that he forgot to mention that we have prepared some training for all of you so that you can even the playing field a little."

"Whoops. Sorry bout that." Isshin apologized while grinning and rubbing the back of his head. Urahara laughed at his old friend.

"Well anyway. Yes, ever since this came to our attention we have been working on individual training methods to maximize each of your skills and make you more powerful than you have ever been." Urahara clapped his hands and Kukaku jumped out from under a fake boulder.

"HEY GUYS! Its been awhile since I've seen all of you. You all look really strong, unlike my useless younger brother (somewhere in the soul society ganju sneezed)" Kukaku walked over to Ichigo and put him in a headlock.

"Its been awhile strawberry." she gets an evil look in her eye. "Now why didn't I get an invite to the wedding." she started squeezing Ichigo's head.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Kukaku you're killing me." the antics of Ichigo and Kukaku continued for a few more minutes.

"Well if you two are quite done then maybe you could explain our guest's training regiments Kukaku?" said Urahara as he sweat dropped.

"Oh yea. Well lets see we have a field made specially for the boosting and strengthening of Quincy powers for Uryu. We have an endurance and speed boot camp for Chad. Rukia will undergo captain's training. Ulquiorra-kun we are still working on yours but you can still get started. Yours is just very hard to work with. Orihime you will be doing more mental training. And lastly Ichigo…well it would probably be better to show you." Kukaku finished. Urahara looked at Ichigo.

"For your training Ichigo you are going to have a partner. Two in fact. But you have to promise me that you won't freak out in any way, shape or form." Ichigo gave Urahara a distrusting look. "I'll promise but I get the feeling I'm going to regret it."

"GOOD! Well lets introduce you to your first partner. YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" a figure stepped out from behind the boulder next to Urahara and everyone's breath left them at the same time. There, standing next to Urahara, was Sosuke Aizen!

"Aizen!" Ichigo and everyone else readied themselves to fight. "Whoa whoa whoa! I knew you would overreact." the group stared at Urahara like he had flipped his hat upside-down, poured sour milk in his hat and then put it on his head.

"You know I'm not sure if you realize this hat-and-clogs but THERE IS A HOMOCIDAL MANIAC WITH A GOD COMPLEX STANDING NEXT TO YOU!" Ichigo shouted.

"See this is why I told you not to freak out. I knew that you would think that this was Sosuke." Urahara replied. Ichigo was confused. "So that's not Aizen?" Ichigo asked.

"That is definitely not Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra said calmly. Urahara started laughing.

"Well in a way it is Aizen. He's just not Sosuke Aizen. This is his twin brother, Sasuke Aizen." Sasuke greeted the group.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all and I would like to take this chance to apologize to all of you on behalf of my family for the inconveniences and pain that my brother has caused you." he bowed low to the group.

"That's not necessary Sasuke. Anyway I think its time you meet your other training partner. I think you have met him before." Ichigo looked around.

"There's no one else here." he said. Urahara laughed again.

"Oh, he's here alright." Urahara pulled out a small white dagger and sunk it deep into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo stared on in disbelief as the dagger sunk deeper into his chest and then exploded. Ichigo sat there coughing on the dust that had been kicked up by the explosion. Ichigo opened his eyes to see if the dust had cleared yet and then his eyes shot open in surprise. Standing in front of him, not ten feet away, was his bleached out inner hollow. The hollow adopted a twisted grin.

"hey there…'king.'" he said sarcastically. Ichigo could not believe himself. His hollow was right there, right in front of him. Not in his inner world, not in his mind. Here. In the world of the living.

"Ahh hell." was all Ichigo could say.


	4. What you must do

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 4: What you must do

"It's good to see you king. What's it been now, two years? Are you happy to see me, or is this more of a disappointment? I bet it's more along the lines of you wishing I had just never resurfaced. Right?" said Ichigo's inner hollow as he started walking towards Ichigo. Ichigo was only able to stare in shocked silence as his inner hollow approached. As the pale reflection of Ichigo reached his 'king' he put his white hand on Ichigo's shoulder, his paleness even more apparent next to Ichigo's black shihakusho. "let's have a little chat." said the hollow and in a flash he and Ichigo where gone. Orihime moved to try and chase after Ichigo but Urahara stopped her by putting his arm up in front of her.

"Don't worry. He can't hurt Ichigo. If he tried then the dagger I used would repel him and he would return to Ichigo's inner world. Oh, and Sasuke would you mind following. His inner hollow is going to have a talk with him but I think that Ichigo is gonna need your help afterward." Sasuke Aizen bowed to Urahara as he spoke.

"very well." he said and then he flash-stepped away. Urahara watched as Sasuke took off in the direction that Ichigo's spiritual pressure had appeared. After a moment he turned to the rest of the group and smiled.

"Well now that Ichigo has already begun his training I think it's only appropriate that you all get started as well. All of you will have a partner while training so don't worry about being to slack. Partners are as follows. Chad, you will be working with Ururu." the little girl stepped forward and bowed to Chad.

"I'll do my best not to kill you Sado-kun." she said in her quiet voice.

"uhhhhh…yea thanks." was all Chad could say before they walked off.

"Ulquiorra, you will be partnered up with Yoruichi for your training." Urahara continued. Ulquiorra looked at the dark skinned woman and nodded to her.

"after you." Yoruichi smiled.

"Ulquiorra, your such a gentleman." the two of them disappeared in sonido and flash step.

"Next is Rukia. You get to work with Isshin." Isshin ran over to Rukia.

"Rukia! My 3rd daughter! Just leave your training to me!" he said with excitement. Rukia sweat dropped and looked at Urahara.

"why can't you train me Urahara?" Urahara waved his hand at her.

"I'll be busy preparing for the coming battle. So sorry for the inconvenience." Rukia sighed and walked toward Isshin who had already got a head start on her.

"Ok. Uryu you will be training with Kukaku." Kukaku smiled at Uryu.

"I hope you don't mind but I was the best suited to help you train. Uryu pushed his glasses higher up on his nose.

"it's fine. As long as I get stronger I don't care who trains me." he said as the two of them walked away.

"And then there was one. You're all that's left to get partnered up for training miss Inoue. Seeing as how your training is going to be more of the mental and spiritual kind rather than the physical training everyone else will be getting I am partnering you up with Tessai." Orihime looked confused.

"ummm…why aren't I doing the same kind of training as everyone else?" she asked. Urahara laughed and unfolded his fan.

"the answer to that is simple. You need to improve your resolve miss Inoue. To put it simply you are the most powerful person in existence. You are the holder of the powers of Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susano'o. However, your power is based solely on your resolve. If you were adamant about it, even Ichigo wouldn't be able to defeat you. But you constantly doubt yourself and that weakens your powers immensely." Orihime stared into space for a moment.

"so I have Itachi's powers?" Urahara looked bemused.

"who is Itachi?" Orihime blushed.

"he is a character from a manga I like. He reminds me of Ulquiorra-kun." Urahara laughed a little.

"I guess so. I'll check into it. But those powers are based on legends much older than any modern manga." Tessai arrived at that moment and gestured to Orihime.

"if the lady is ready, we may get started." he said to her. Orihime bowed quickly to Tessai.

"yes sir!" she said as she ran over to him leaving Urahara with his thoughts. _so the 3 legendary powers are now put into manga as well as legend huh? Oh well. I wonder how Ichigo is doing.__*******_

Ichigo stood on edge waiting for his inner hollow to make a move. He let his hand hover only an inch or less away from Zangetsu's handle. His hollow just sneered at him.

"I don't know why you are bothering with that thing, 'king'. old man Zangetsu isn't home." Ichigo's eyes widened.

"what the hell do you mean by that? What have you done with Zangetsu?" he shouted at his inner hollow. His hollow began to laugh manically.

"what do you think I did with him? Better yet what do all hollows do with their prey?" a chill ran down Ichigo's spine. "have you figured it out yet 'king'? I ATE HIM! Or don't you remember your 'dream'?" the shock and anger Ichigo felt reached its boiling point.

"you mean you killed him? YOU MONSTER!" he shouted at his pale reflection. His hollow just continued to laugh.

"of course I didn't kill him you idiot. Remember, he and I are one and the same. Two sides of the same coin, two halves of the same whole. If I had killed him I would be dead as well. I merely consumed him. I am the ruling power now. Which means that you can't draw on Zangetsu for strength when I take the throne from you." another chill ran down Ichigo's spine. His hollow wanted to fight, and he wouldn't have Zangetsu this time. "oh but king I am not entirely without feeling. I'll give you a hint on how to defeat me without the old man. All you have to do is learn my name and say it. Do that and you win. Don't and I'll become the king and you can carry me as the horse!" with that last statement Ichigo's inner hollow closed the distance between himself and Ichigo, grabbed the white dagger that had allowed himself to manifest into the material world, and yanked it out. With the dagger out the hollow returned to Ichigo's inner world and he pulled Ichigo's soul in with him…


	5. Those who wait

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 5: Those who wait

A lone figure sat on a makeshift throne in the middle of a dark room absentmindedly toying with the hilt of the sword which sat in his lap. His face was obscured by shadows but the outline of his face showed a strong structure framed by wavy black hair. His body was lean and well toned and long. As he sat there seemingly oblivious to his surroundings a door opened in front of the throne showing a nervous looking man on his knees bowing. The man wore a green overcoat and regular jeans with a plain blue shirt.

"Permission to enter, lord Kakudo?" The figure on the throne stopped playing with his sword and looked up.

"Ahh…yes, Venn, please enter. And please do not be so formal with me. I've told you that Kurohane is acceptable." The man named Venn bowed low and nodded.

"Yes lord Kurohane." Kurohane sighed and motioned him forward.

"I suppose that is an improvement. Now I suppose you are here to report your progress in finding the gates? Very well, tell me what you have learned." the man swallowed hard.

"I am sorry to report that we have made very little progress. We have only confirmed that the gates are not in soul society." Kurohane studied him for awhile.

"So in short what you are telling me is, that you have failed again." as he said the last part Kurohane's eyes narrowed and Venn stepped back as a portion of his overcoat evaporated into thin air. Kurohane stood up from his psudo-throne and stepped into a small ray of light coming in from the open door. The light revealed his features which showed him as a man with strong blue eyes and a hard jaw line. He stood at least 6 feet tall and wore a black v-neck shirt with black jeans and black tennis shoes. "And not only that but you have the nerve to return with such a trivial amount of knowledge? Give me one reason I should not simply destro-" before Kurohane could finish his sentence the lights in the throne room flashed on and a high pitched voice yelled into the room overpowering all other sounds.

"THE COOKIES ARE READY!" the voice belonged to a young girl with short black hair pulled back into a small pony tail. She wore tight fitting jeans and a black shirt with purple skeleton bones set where they would actually be in her body. Kurohane brightened up almost instantly.

"Finally! Well Venn it looks like once again your life is saved by cookies. You should thank the god of cookies. So Angelle, What kind of cookies did you make me today?" he said with an earnest smile.

"Your favorites of course, sir! I made peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip, and peanut butter chocolate chip. I also made…" Angelle continued on even after her and Kurohane were long out of earshot. Venn sat there trembling. It was unnerving to him to think about just how close he had been to death just then.

"Lord Kakudo." Venn gathered himself and stood. After a moment to collect his thoughts he left the room.***

Hours later Kurohane once again sat on his psudo-throne and waited patiently for his followers. He only had to wait a few minutes until they all filed into the room and stood before him. He looked them over and nodded. The five who stood before him were his most loyal subjects and it would be with them that his dreams would be realized.

"Hello again my friends. I have called this meeting because , as Venn brought to my attention earlier, we are still no closer to our goal than we have been since we found out how to open the gates. Angelle, dear, would you explain to the rest of the group the plan I discussed with you earlier?" he said. Angelle smiled at Kurohane and nodded.

"Gladly my lord." Kurohane nodded and sat in his psudo-throne as an attendant entered and brought him a plate with cake on it. He sat there eating the cake as Angelle continued. "Ok guys, lord Kurohane's plan is simple. It seems that somehow soul society has found out about our plan, or at least part of it. This means that if they know the location to the gates then they will likely have someone guarding them. If we pay attention to the patterns of the soul reapers guard rotations then we should be able to figure out which area they are guarding the most and chances are that that's where the gates are." She finished. The small group nodded and smiles started appearing on their faces.

"So then we can fulfill lord Kurohane's wishes?" said a large man with a deep voice. He wore a black coat that obscured all but his tall frame and eager face. He ran a hand through his short blond hair as his blue eyes brightened. "That's wonderful!"

"Isn't it though? And when my dream is realized, Mashima, then I can finally fulfill my promises to all of you. Lend me your strength, friends, and when the time is right we shall strike like a hammer to hot iron. However, first we must wait. We will wait and watch. Those fools will lead us to the gates of hell, and then we'll open them." Kurohane smiled as he said this last part. Angelle looked at Kurohane and just kept staring at him.

"ummm…lord Kurohane?" he looked at her.

"yes, Angelle? What is it?" he said.

"ummm…you have cake on the side of your mouth." she said as she pointed to the relative spot on her own mouth. Kurohane reached up and wiped it away.

"ohhhhh. Thank you." he said with a smile. She just smiled back. Angelle liked working for lord Kurohane. _he is so cute. _she thought to herself. _And he is always so nice to me. Unlike the rest of those soul reapers, he is special._ Angelle knew that she would give and do anything to make sure that lord Kurohane's plan came to pass, and she didn't care who or what got in her way. "That is all for today my friends. And as always I would like to thank you all for your hard work. Oh and Angelle? Could you stay and talk with me for a minute. I have matters of importance to discuss with you." Angelle blushed as she was pulled from her thoughts and quickly answered his question.

"Yes my lord. Nothing would make me happier." she said with a smirk. The only other woman in the group gave her a hate filled glare, she knew that last part was more for her than lord Kurohane. Angelle returned the look and studied the woman, Shiori, with distain. It was obvious that the woman also held an interest in lord Kurohane but he seemed to favor Angelle more. And Shiori couldn't stand it. At the behest of their leader the other four left the room leaving Kurohane and Angelle alone.

"I was hoping to hear what you think of our newest member. He seems eager enough but I would like to know what you think of him." Kurohane told her as soon as the man in question, the last one out, had left the room.

"May I speak frankly, my lord?" Angelle asked him.

"Of course my dear. I wouldn't have it any other way. And please refer to me as Kurohane." he answered her.

"Yes my lor…I mean Kurohane. In my opinion he is a valuable asset to our plan and I don't think we would be this well off without the help he offered. As for his eagerness I must say that it is borderline barbaric the way he always insist on the most confrontational route. And lastly, although I see no problem, his presence is most unnerving for most of us. As you know we are mostly rogue soul reapers and powerful souls, so an Arrancar in our midst is a little unsettling." she said carefully as to make sure nothing she said upset her lord.

"Yes, I thought as much. Well he will have plenty of chances to prove himself." Kurohane smiled. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."


	6. The fruits of our labor

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 6: The Fruits of Our Labor

Urahara sat patiently on a rock in his underground training area as he waited for an update on the groups progress. It had been 3 months since everyone had started training and he could tell that the time was drawing near for them to be done. From the latter leading up to Urahara Soten Jinta could be heard calling down.

"Hey! Boss! I'm done sweeping! Can I take a break now?" Urahara smiled to himself before calling back.

"If you take a break, who would watch the store?" the shopkeeper said in a sing-song voice. Jinta sweat dropped.

"Damn it." said the youth as he returned to his work. Urahara chuckled to himself at the unintentional antics of the boy, he was great comic relief. As Urahara sat there he suddenly felt an group of spiritual pressures manifest at nearly the same time.

"So they finally finished." he said, more to himself than anyone in particular. "I wonder if all went as planned." Urahara stared into the direction that the spiritual pressures were originating from and after a few seconds a small group came into view. The group, made up of Chad, Uryu, and Ulquiorra, approached Urahara and stopped in front of him. Chad's hair was now slightly longer and he had grown a small goatee. Uryu's hair was also longer, almost reaching his shoulders, and his clothes looked slightly burned. Ulquiorra, however, looked the same as always.

"Well don't you all look stronger. How was your training." Urahara asked cheerfully. Urahara moved his head slightly as an arrow of reishi whizzed by his head. Before he had a chance to move further he was forced to use Benihime to block a fist meant to strike him in the stomach, knocking him back several feet.

"I take it you didn't like your training arrangements?" Urahara said sweetly. A vein popped out visibly on Uryu's forehead.

"YOU SADISTIC BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT US THROUGH!" Uryu screamed. Urahara opened his fan and held in front of his smiling face.

"I had faith in you. I'd never put you through anything that I thought you couldn't overcome." he said calmly. Ulquiorra analyzed Urahara and Uryu for a moment before turning to Chad.

"Is it safe to assume that our training methods Urahara had us use are not normal?" he asked the giant. Chad only responded with a nod. The group continued to speak for a few more minutes before Orihime also joined them. Orihime's hair had grown some and she seemed more stable than she did before. As soon as she caught sight of Ulquiorra, however, she burst into tears and ran into his arms.

"Ulquiorra! It was horrible! I Thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed into his chest. Ulquiorra glared at Urahara.

"Your training has made the woman cry." he said as he pointed at Urahara. Urahara's eyes widened as Ulquiorra started charging a cero.

"whoa whoa whoa! There's no need for that Ulquiorra-kun! I never said that the training wouldn't be strenuous. Tell me this, don't you all feel stronger?" Urahara asked the group. Everyone stood and assessed themselves. Orihime spoke up first.

"Come to think of it I do feel much stronger." she said. Ulquiorra spoke next.

"Our rate of improvement is impressive. It would seem we have reached a higher level of power than Lord Aizen. I am quite surprised." he said in his usual monotone. Orihime teared up again and pressed herself into Ulquiorra's chest. Urahara looked over the group one more time with an approving eye.

"Well all that remains is Rukia and Ichigo. We should be seeing them soon. But for now how about we all head upstairs and get some food?" said the shopkeeper in a cheery voice. The group agreed and headed upstairs as a smaller group came into view of the latter leading to the shop level.

"He forgot about us didn't he?" said Kukaku who was covered with scratches and bruises. Yoruichi just nodded her head and Ururu let out an exasperated sigh. Tears could be seen going down Tessai's cheeks at the thought of being forgotten by Urahara. ***

A few hours later the full group of Urahara, Yoruichi, Ururu, Jinta, Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Ulquiorra, and Kukaku sat in the underground training area waiting patiently for Ichigo and Rukia to finish their training. Everyone had found some way to pass the time. Orihime and Yoruichi, for example, where experimenting with hair styles while Uryu and Ulquiorra played chess as Chad watched. As Urahara nearly nodded off while sitting on a rock a huge blast of spiritual pressure nearly knocked him off his perch. Everyone looked in the direction of the spiritual pressure and saw the figures of Isshin and Rukia walking towards them. The huge spiritual pressure was rolling off of Rukia in waves. Rukia's hair was shorter now, stopping half-way down her neck, and she radiated confidence.

"So how is our little Rukia doing?" Urahara asked jokingly. Isshin tensed and ran over to Urahara, grabbed him, and ran a good distance away before whispering in his ear.

"I'd watch what you say Kisuke. That little shrimp is strong enough to kick both our asses at the same time now." Isshin whispered with fear dripping from his words. His body went rigid as he realized that Rukia was standing behind him and had heard his every word. A vein popped out of her forehead as she spoke

"Who are you calling a shrimp, old man?" she said menacingly to Isshin. Before he even had a chance to reply Rukia's foot found its way to his face and he flew off into the ceiling. Urahara sweat dropped at the implications of Rukia's new found power. _I'll have to be careful with what I say to her from now on. _He thought. Rukia looked over to Urahara and smiled one of her devilish smiles that foretold that she had evil on her mind.

"So, Mr. Weirdo, where is my husband? I'd really like to see him." she said in a mock-sweet voice. Urahara sweat dropped again. He had no idea how to tell her that Ichigo hadn't finished his training yet without earning a foot to the face. Before he had to face the music and tell Rukia, however, he was saved by an over energetic Orihime who had rushed over and enveloped Rukia in a smothering hug.

"Oh Rukia! I'm so happy to see you! I really missed you and I was worried about you and I…and I…" Orihime cried but was unable to finish as she broke down into a fit of sobs. Urahara flinched as Orihime's sobbing earned him another glare from Ulquiorra. Rukia struggled to speak as she was being smothered and crushed by Orihime's embrace.

"ughhhhhh….Ori…hime…can't…breath…" was all she was able to say before Orihime released her and began to apologize profusely for almost choking her. Rukia just laughed it off before looking around and studying her friends. "Wow. You've all grown so powerful. You're all way past captain-class strength." she said with a smile. Everyone in the group nodded and smiled. Urahara looked the group over and nodded. Now, he figured, would probably be the best time to mention Ichigo's tardiness before Rukia cornered him again. Before he was able to utter a word, however, there was, for the umpteenth time that day, a surge and explosion of spiritual pressure. This one, though, put all the others to shame and dwarfed them in the sheer magnitude of the spiritual pressure. Urahara smiled as he felt the familiar brush of Ichigo's spirit. He then turned to the group and spoke.

"Well it seems that Mr. Kurosaki has just finished. How 'bout we go over and see for ourselves." he said. Without any warning everyone began running towards Ichigo's spiritual pressure (with the exception of Ulquiorra, who was being dragged by Orihime). As everyone arrived to where Ichigo's spiritual pressure was radiating from they saw Sasuke Aizen standing just outside a cloud of smoke and dust. When he noticed the group he turned and bowed to them.

"Good to see you all again. You've arrived just in time. Mr. Kurosaki has just completed his training." he said as he looked up from his bowed position. Urahara walked over to Sasuke and began chatting with him. The group waited with baited breath as the smoke and dust slowly began to clear. When it had gone down some a patch of orange could be seen in the middle of the cloud, and when it had nearly completely dispersed Ichigo could be seen standing there. His hair had grown enough to slightly cover his eyes and his face was set in the same scowl as ever, but the main thing that was different was Zangetsu. Zangetsu's blade was more curved now with the ends coming out into points, and the handle was now a round one with a broken chain hanging from the end rather than cloth. Ichigo's shihakusho had also changed a little, with what looks like a collar around his neck and little white X armlets on his arms and a larger one crossing his chest. Ichigo looked up and noticed the group staring at him and smiled while raising his arm in a wave.

"Hey there guys. Long time, no see."

**A/N: For those who do not understand my descriptions, everyone looks like they do after the time skip in the official manga.**


	7. Goodbye, ViceCaptain

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, its characters, nor do I profit from them in any way.

Summery: AU, 2 years after the winter war Ichigo has recovered his shinigami powers, and he can't help but recognize the signs of his inner hollow stirring. However when a new threat shows its face Ichigo and his hollow will have to rely on their friends, as well as each other, in order to survive.

Chapter 7: Goodbye, Vice-Captain.

Guard duty was the last thing that Vice-Captain Renji Abarai had expected when his captain had given him a "secret assignment of the highest importance." But, alas, there was nothing he could do but sit and guard this…this…well hell he had no idea what the hell it was that he was guarding. All he knew was that his debriefing of the mission was given by Captain-Commander Yamamoto himself so there was no way that it wasn't important.

"Damn I'm bored" he said aloud to no one in particular. It was just him and 3 other guards tonight and he was the ranking officer. So that meant that he was in charge and anything that went wrong would be on his head.

"_Why are you acting like a restless child Renji. It's pathetic." _Renji could hear the taunting inside his head from his own zanpakuto.

"Aww shut the hell up Zabimaru. You know that you are just as bored as I am." he said angrily to his sword. Only silence answered him. "Yea that's what I thought." Renji adopted a satisfied grin and began to pace around a small rock that looked almost like a gravestone. _I wonder just what it is we are guarding. _Renji absentmindedly thought to himself. _I mean there are four of us. That's a lot for a simple guard. And to top it off I'm a vice-captain and two of the other three guys are seated officers. _Renji had no doubt, whatever he was guarding was very important. If it weren't then there would be no need for the pattern of their posts. With him in the middle and the other three forming a triangle perimeter it was obviously a defensive arrangement. And that meant that Soul Society was serious.

"Damn it I'm too bored." he complained again. Before Zabimaru was able to poke another joke at Renji however the spiritual pressure of a hollow appeared. But there was something off about it. Renji had never been that good at noticing the subtle differences in spiritual pressure but he would have bet Zabimaru's sheath that this was no normal hollow. Renji's hunch proved itself right only a moment later when the spiritual pressure of the soul reaper guarding the northern perimeter suddenly disappeared, followed swiftly by the lower east and west perimeters. Renji was alone now.

"I guess this is what they mean when they say 'be careful what you wish for' huh?" Renji said to himself as he placed his hand on Zabimaru's hilt to prepare for the inevitable fight. Renji stood still, waiting for the first sign that he was about to be attacked when a voice from behind him almost made him jump out of his skin.

"What'cha doin' out so late, huh? Soul reaper?" said the voice. Renji jumped back and turned to face his opponent but when he turned around there was no one there.

"Whatsa' matter Reaper? Can't follow me? How bout I just make it easy on ya?" the voice continued to taunt Renji, however when he turned to the source this time he came face to face with his tormentor and nearly choked. The young man was wearing white jeans and tennis shoes with sky blue trim and a white hoodie that was open revealing his lack of an undershirt and the large scar that ran from the top of his left shoulder down to his right hip. His eyes and hair were the same sky blue as the trim on his shoes. What looked to be the remains of a jawbone affixed itself to the right side of his face and dead in the middle of his abdomen was a hole large enough for Renji to put his arm through.

"So you're an Arrancar huh? What business do you have here?" Renji asked. Grimmjow smiled sadistically.

"Now what fun would it be if I just went and told ya everything, huh?" Grimmjow asked sarcastically. Renji smiled back at Grimmjow and unsheathed his sword.

"Well then why don't we just see if we can't loosen your tongue. Time for you to roar, Zabimaru!" Renji said as he released his sword. The smile on his face slowly started to fade as he got a sense of Grimmjow's spiritual pressure. In an instant he had disappeared and reappeared behind Grimmjow slashing at his arm. Grimmjow raised his arm and blocked the blow effortlessly. "YOU! I recognize your spiritual pressure! You're the Arrancar who hurt Rukia that night when we first fought you Arrancars!" Renji shouted. Grimmjow started laughing and pushed Zabimaru away with his arm.

"Ya mean that shrimp soul reaper who was with Ichigo that night? Man, you must have it hard up for her if you're still holding a grudge on something that old." he said still laughing.

"Shut up! I'm not some heartless hollow who doesn't care about his comrades. We soul reapers take it very personally when some no-account Arrancar hurts our friends. Since I'm gonna be the one to kill you allow me to introduce myself. My name is Renji Abarai, Vice-Captain of squad 6. Do you mind if I ask yours, Arrancar?" Renji said to Grimmjow.

"Don't see why not, seeing as _I'm _gonna kill _you_ anyway." Grimmjow said, his sadistic smile returning. "Name's Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, former 6th espada." Renji paled at the mention of Grimmjow's former ranking but kept his composure in check. A few moments passed in silence before being broken by Grimmjow.

"Well if you ain't gonna get this party started then I guess I will." he said as he disappeared. Renji was barely able to block the blow that came from his lower left side. He was surprised to see that the attack had come from Grimmjow's hand and not his sword. "Sorry soul reaper, but that was just a feint." said Grimmjow as he drew his sword with his other hand and swung at Renji. At the last second Renji dodged the strike with a flash step but not without taking a scratch to his cheek. He smiled as blood started to flow down his cheek.

"You're better than I gave you credit for, but, I'm stronger than Ichigo was when he left Hueco Mundo. Do you know what that means Arrancar? I means I'm stronger than you." said Renji, holding his sword out in front of him. "Bankai!" he shouted as a wave of spiritual pressure shot off of him, pushing Grimmjow back and away from where Renji remained standing. The dust surrounding Renji that had been kicked up by his bankai release settled to show the soul reaper holding what looked like the tail of a giant bone snake with red fur around its head and a segmented body held together by chords of red spiritual energy. "Hihio Zabimaru!" Grimmjow looked at the full release of Renji's zanpakuto in awe. He had to admit, this thing looked cool.

"So your gonna just lay your hand out straight eh? Alright then. Guess there's no point in toyin' wit ya." Grimmjow said as he pulled his sword in closer to his body and placed his left hand directly on the blade roughly. "Grind, Pantera!" ***

"long time, no see." Ichigo said to his friends with a smile. It was good to see friendly faces after nearly three months of constant torture at the hands of his inner hollow. Before he was able to say much else to his friends however he was tackled by a small bundle of soul reaper and nearly crushed to death in Rukia's bear hug.

"Ichigo. I missed you so much. Are you ok? Did your inner hollow do anything bad? Do my drawings really suck? Or…" Rukia said as she barraged Ichigo with questions. Ichigo, however, pulled her into a passionate kiss that interrupted her when he saw the tears that were gathering and threatening to spill. Though taken by surprise at first by the kiss, Rukia closed her eyes and gladly leaned into the warmth of Ichigo's embrace and the comfort of his kiss. Before the couple could truly enjoy the pleasures of each others company they where brought back into reality by a fake cough from Urahara. Both Ichigo's and Rukia's head whipped around to the group who were, for the most part, looking away or had their eyes covered and blushing. With red faces Ichigo and Rukia separated and stood up, brushing themselves off.

"Well that was entertaining." said Urahara in a sly voice causing Ichigo and Rukia to blush even more. "Now that everyone is present and accounted for I need to see where you all stand." Ichigo looked at Urahara with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean Hat-and-Clogs?" Ichigo asked the shopkeeper. Urahara opened his fan and held it in front of his face to hide the smile that had appeared.

"Well to put it bluntly I would like to see how your new powers have manifested and make sure that there are no serious flaws that our enemy could exploit. You see it's not going to be like with Aizen. He was far too confident in his power to use it to its fullest ability. Had Aizen used Kyoka Suigetsu on you, Ichigo, then you would have been just as helpless as the rest of us." Urahara explained. "And not just you, Ichigo, but everyone here. So, who would like to show what they have learned first? Inoue? Ishida? How about you Chad?" everyone looked around and shrugged their shoulders before Rukia stepped forward.

"I'll give it a shot. So what do I do?" she asked Urahara.

"Well Mrs. Kurosaki, just raise your spiritual pressure to its highest level and then focus it into the strongest attack you can muster. After that I should have a pretty good sense of your development. So do you think you can handle that?" Urahara asked Rukia. Rukia just stared incredulously at Urahara.

"That is so simple that even Kon could do it, but I guess I can show you what I've learned." she said with a vein popping out of her forehead. "Dance, Sode No Shirayuki." Rukia's zanpakuto turned pure white and a long, white ribbon attached to the hilt of the sword as she turned it around in mid-air. "Bankai. Getsu No Mai Sode No Shirayuki." Rukia's shihakusho turned a pure white and the blade of her sword became surrounded in small flakes of snow that moved fluidly around the blade. Everyone stared at Rukia in amazement. Before anyone could react to Rukia's new bankai she raised her blade and the snow flakes began to form around the tip of the blade. Rukia's spiritual pressure increased to a fever pitch that could have easily matched one Zaraki Kenpachi. The snow flakes formed together and created a scythe at the tip of Rukia's zanpakuto as she gathered all her energy into the blade.

"Mikazuki No Mai." Said Rukia as she slashed her zanpakuto, freezing everything in front of her. The ice from her attack formed a crescent moon on the ground that extended all the way to the end of the training room. Rukia turned her blade back and slashed again as the ice that had encased the floor shattered into thousands of shards. Rukia turned to Urahara and smirked. "How was that, Mr. Weirdo?" Urahara stared at the ice that was still on the floor and then back at Rukia smiling.

"Wow wow wow, that was rather impressive Mrs. Kurosaki. And only 3 visible fatal flaws." Urahara said with a huge grin on his face. Rukia just gawked at Urahara incredulously.

"Wha…? What do you mean? What flaws? And why the hell are you smiling like a pervert?" Rukia shouted.

"I meant no offence Mrs. Kurosaki. Just a few small…" Urahara trailed off as he noticed a hell butterfly enter the room. "Well what have we here?" the hell butterfly fluttered its wings quickly and flew over to Rukia. After a few moments Rukia began to tear up. Ichigo took a step closer to Rukia and she collapsed into his chest sobbing.

"Rukia? What's the matter?" Ichigo asked her. Rukia looked up at Ichigo with tears still flowing freely. She waited a moment to let herself calm down before she tried to speak.

"It's Renji. He's dead."

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to put up. This story is going on hiatus for awhile until i can get some more reviews for it. i'll continue after i get at least 20. i'm starting another story in the meantime so be on the lookout if you like my stories. thank you ~ Darkangel**


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